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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. race — a contest
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. vault — a safe

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