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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. vault — a safe
  16. dip — to sink
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — a container
  21. lean — thin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — an agreement

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