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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 English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fall — the season
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — of water
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. current — happening now

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