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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bore — to tire
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spell — letters
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. content — the amount
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — to handle
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — magic
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to drill
  23. row — a line
  24. deal — an agreement

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