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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chest — of your body
  11. game — wild animals
  12. content — the amount
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a committee
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. content — happy
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chest — a box
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — a match
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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