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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — certain
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — the season
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — bread
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. calf — a young animal

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