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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: deal · chest · ground · cell · roll · fine · arm · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ground — the earth
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fine — all right
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ground — a position
  18. roll — a list
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chest — a box
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fine — high quality
  24. chest — of your body

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