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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — a series
  3. craft — boats
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rest — what's left

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