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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — a path
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — a container
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — a song
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — a gift
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — there
  17. deal — to handle
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — the time now

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