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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. foot — a measure
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — a series
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rock — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pound — a weight
  24. foot — part of the body

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