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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. board — to get on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. firm — decided
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. current — electric
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — happening now
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tear — to rip
  22. current — of water
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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