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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. season — in sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — of water
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — a tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour

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