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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — newspapers
  5. suit — clothes
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. object — to protest
  10. suit — in cards
  11. press — a publisher
  12. key — for a lock
  13. object — a thing
  14. press — to push
  15. cap — of ice
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. object — an aim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — the animal

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