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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — for digging
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. craft — boats
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. craft — a skill
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. game — a match

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