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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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