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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — a law
  9. kick — in football
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out

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