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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. staff — a stick
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. charge — in control
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — clever
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — to handle
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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