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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lie — to recline
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — to grow
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. trunk — of a car

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