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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — a measure
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. sharp — clever
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — a coil
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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