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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. staff — employees
  6. pop — soda
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. file — a line of people
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a tool
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. deal — to handle
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — a stick
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rash — a series

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