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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. shower — rain
  14. face — to point toward
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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