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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · deal · mouse · sharp · date · lie · net · cabinet

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — for catching
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — to recline
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. net — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — after costs

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