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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — rain
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — a group
  14. board — to get on
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. track — a song
  20. club — for golf
  21. face — part of the head
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — for dancing
  24. straw — dry grass

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