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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: mark · wave · hide · court · bear · present · deal · stick

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. 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. hide — to keep secret
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — a gift
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — a grade
  18. present — there
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. 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