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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. scale — in music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mine — for digging
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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