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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — a practice
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. shower — rain
  7. staff — employees
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — a stick
  10. kid — child
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — army training
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. drill — the tool
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. kid — to tease
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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