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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. season — of the year
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. deal — to handle
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — thin
  14. season — in sport
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — to bend
  24. board — to get on

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