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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — to push
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a music group
  16. staff — employees
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a ring
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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