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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — crushed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — to handle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — to pay attention

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