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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — a lid
  6. track — a song
  7. mark — a trace
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cap — of ice
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — to handle
  22. track — a path
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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