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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cold — not warm
  9. band — a music group
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — to handle
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — an agreement

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