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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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. swing — in golf
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — to play on
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to confront
  12. present — there
  13. pit — a hole
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. swing — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — part of the head
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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