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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — to handle
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — the time now
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fork — in a road
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cell — a phone
  16. roll — a list
  17. press — to push
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — there
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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