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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — electric
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. key — in music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — the season
  24. arm — a part of something

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