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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — boats
  11. root — of a word
  12. present — the time now
  13. mate — a partner
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — the cause
  17. mate — to breed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — there
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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