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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cap — of ice
  5. row — a line
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — for a lock
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lie — to recline
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ruler — for measuring

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