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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. band — a ring
  15. firm — decided
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. firm — steady
  18. tube — the underground
  19. firm — a company
  20. wake — a trail
  21. face — to point toward
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. band — a music group
  24. branch — a division

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