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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. press — to push
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kid — child
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — a trail
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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