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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 120 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pop — to visit
  5. deal — to handle
  6. present — there
  7. bank — for money
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. tear — from crying
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. present — the time now

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