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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — decided
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. firm — steady
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — a break
  24. firm — a company

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