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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stock — goods
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stock — shares
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pop — soda
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — music
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rock — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — a series
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — a box
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stock — a soup base

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