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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. press — to push
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — hurry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — newspapers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tear — from crying

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