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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — to recline
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chest — a box
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — a big deal

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