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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. root — the cause
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. last — to go on
  10. root — of a word
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wake — a trail
  18. shower — rain
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. last — final
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. last — finally
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — an agreement

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