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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — clever

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