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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. clip — a video
  3. ground — the earth
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. press — to push
  8. rest — a break
  9. band — a ring
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. clip — for paper
  15. can — a tin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. press — a publisher
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. clip — to cut
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — to be able to

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