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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rash — a series
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — the tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. drill — army training
  14. scale — in music
  15. fine — all right
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fall — the season
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rash — hasty
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fine — a penalty

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