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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 124 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. clip — for paper
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the fish
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. shower — rain
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — a video
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bass — low music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — for pool

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