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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — hasty
  11. net — after costs
  12. rest — a break
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — to rip
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — a series
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. net — in sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — from crying
  24. net — for catching

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