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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. band — a ring
  7. shower — to wash
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — to handle
  11. staff — a stick
  12. band — a music group
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — rain
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. band — a rubber band

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