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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — humankind
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. vault — a safe
  7. race — a contest
  8. season — of the year
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. season — in sport
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. press — a publisher
  20. race — the arms race
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. press — to push
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wound — an injury

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