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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — an aim
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fine — all right
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. court — for sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. press — a publisher
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — to handle
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. fine — high quality

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