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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 124 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lean — to bend
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — a division
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — soda
  17. lean — thin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — bread
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — to visit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. branch — 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