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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lean — thin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — in music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spell — magic
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. spell — letters
  16. mine — for digging
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. root — of a word
  24. chair — a leader

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