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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rash — a series
  4. track — a song
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kid — child
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — in control
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. kid — to tease
  23. track — a path
  24. dip — to sink

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