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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lie — to recline
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — all right
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. object — a thing
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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