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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pop — music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pop — soda
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lean — to bend
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lean — thin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — to visit
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — help
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hand — part of the body

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