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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rest — a break
  6. rash — a series
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ball — a great time
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. deal — to handle
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a round shape

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