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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. last — final
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lean — to bend
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. last — to go on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. last — finally
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wake — a trail

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