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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. file — a line of people
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a document
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cell — in biology
  20. swing — music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. toast — bread
  24. file — a tool

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