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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: mouse · land · stick · present · tear · chest · deal · mark

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chest — a box
  3. mark — a grade
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — a gift
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. land — ground
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. land — to come down
  16. present — there
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. present — the time now
  20. land — a country
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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