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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. file — a tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — a trace
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fall — to drop
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — rain
  23. mine — for digging
  24. file — a document

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