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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bass — low music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wake — a trail
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mine — for digging
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. deal — to handle
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. press — to push

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