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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · present · deal · lean · club · hide

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lean — thin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cell — a phone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — a gift
  18. deal — an agreement

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