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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. board — a committee
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — to bend
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — thin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — in golf
  12. deal — to handle
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. board — to get on
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. swing — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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