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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — to handle
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. file — a tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a document

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