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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tear — from crying
  10. track — a path
  11. tear — to rip
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. snap — to click
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — of the sea

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