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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cell — in biology
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rash — a series
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cell — a phone
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — newspapers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — for spectators

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