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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fall — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — to drop

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