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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — of water
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — electric
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — thin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — low music

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