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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. current — happening now
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. shower — rain
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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