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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — humankind
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. race — a contest
  13. mark — a grade
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. board — a committee
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. calf — of the leg

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