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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — a series
  6. kid — child
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — hasty
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — a grade
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — a break
  24. ruler — a monarch

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