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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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Word bank
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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: key · pop · deal · wound · fall · stock · calf · tear

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. pop — soda
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. key — in music
  16. stock — goods
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — to handle
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tear — from crying

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