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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — low music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bass — the instrument

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