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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mark — a trace
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — boats
  24. safe — a strongbox

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