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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spring — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — a coil
  16. squash — to crush
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. deal — an agreement

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