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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wind — moving air
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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