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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to bend
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bound — certain
  10. current — electric
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. current — of water
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — thin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — to get on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bound — obliged
  21. current — happening now
  22. game — a match
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a committee

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