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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lie — to recline
  12. current — happening now
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. current — of water
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — in football
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kick — a thrill

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