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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — part of the head
  4. firm — a company
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. march — the month
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. march — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. firm — steady
  17. deal — to handle
  18. face — to confront
  19. march — the month
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. staff — employees

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