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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. last — final
  4. kick — in football
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — happening now
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. cue — for pool
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. current — electric
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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