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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — a division
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — a company
  7. last — finally
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. last — final
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — decided
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. last — to go on
  22. firm — steady
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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