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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. land — ground
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — a division
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. land — to come down
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — a country
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. deal — to handle

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