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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. roll — a cake
  5. club — for golf
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. club — for dancing
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. club — a group
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. roll — a list

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