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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — to handle
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — of a plant
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — a committee
  22. plane — a tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — in geometry

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