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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. last — finally
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. deal — to handle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. key — in music
  12. last — final
  13. present — a gift
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — to go on
  22. present — there
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cap — a lid

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