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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're on a ________________ here.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. roll — a list
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — of water
  7. roll — a cake
  8. present — the time now
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. stem — to come from
  19. spring — a coil
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. fan — to cool the air

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