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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: game · wound · nail · roll · bark · leaves · suit · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. roll — a list
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wound — an injury
  5. game — a match
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. game — wild animals
  10. suit — clothes
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. nail — on a finger

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