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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: wake · firm · leaves · lie · deal · roll · pop · cap

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — soda
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a cake
  14. firm — a company
  15. cap — a hat
  16. firm — decided
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. firm — steady
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cap — of ice

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