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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. fall — the season
  8. squash — to crush
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cap — a lid
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — of ice
  18. squash — the sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. squash — the vegetable

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