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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lean — thin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — to spend time

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