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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — to handle
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — for catching
  22. face — part of the head
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com