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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — electric

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