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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. lie — to recline
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rock — a stone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kick — in football
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — on your feet
  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