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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. date — the fruit
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spring — the season
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. band — a ring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wind — moving air
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. band — a music group
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lean — to bend
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lean — thin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — of water
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the 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