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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 120 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 ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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. deal — to handle
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mark — a trace
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — in golf
  15. can — to be able to
  16. face — to point toward
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — music
  23. press — to push
  24. face — to confront

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