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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. file — a tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. file — a line of people
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. file — a document
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. deal — to handle

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