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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — to handle
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. file — a tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. temple — side of the head

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