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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — to rob
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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