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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. last — final
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fine — high quality
  7. last — finally
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. last — to go on
  10. fine — all right
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — to handle
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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