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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. object — to protest
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to click
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. craft — boats
  12. object — an aim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. object — a thing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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