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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. shower — rain
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — government
  15. deal — to handle
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rule — a law
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. shower — to wash
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. prune — to trim

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