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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ground — a position
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — an agreement

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