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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — to go on
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. club — a group
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — finally
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — final
  17. fine — all right
  18. toast — bread
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. deal — to handle

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