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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kick — in football
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. land — a country
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mug — a face
  15. land — ground
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. land — to come down

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