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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. deal — to handle
  6. face — to confront
  7. clip — a video
  8. tube — the underground
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. tube — a container
  11. clip — to cut
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. face — to point toward
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. snap — to click
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — to bear

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