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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rash — a series
  6. present — there
  7. rash — hasty
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. present — the time now
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — part of the head
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — a city
  18. face — to point toward
  19. object — to protest
  20. capital — money
  21. face — to confront
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — a gift
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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