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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — for pool
  6. race — a contest
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — a signal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. race — humankind
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chest — a box
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — ministers

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