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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. charge — in control
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — shares
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — a measure
  9. deal — to handle
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. charge — a price
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — for paper
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stock — goods
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. clip — a video

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