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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pass — a permit
  4. key — for a lock
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — in music
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wind — moving air

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