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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ground — the earth
  4. spell — letters
  5. ground — crushed
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — a position
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — magic
  14. mark — a trace
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. spell — a short time
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. safe — out of danger

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