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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bound — tied together
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. shower — rain
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — in football
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. shower — to wash

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