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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ground — the earth
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a ring
  20. lie — to recline
  21. row — a line
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. trunk — of a tree

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