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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. firm — decided
  6. race — a contest
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chip — to eat
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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