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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bass — low music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the fish
  18. press — to push
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. deal — to handle
  23. scale — size or range
  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