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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. root — of a word
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — government
  9. craft — a skill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — the cause
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — obliged
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — certain
  19. root — of a plant
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — boats
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. hide — animal skin

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