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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: fall · bound · spring · bear · foot · deal · press · chip

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — the season
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — to handle
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fall — the season

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