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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. perch — the fish
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spell — letters
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mark — a grade
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

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