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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. current — of water
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. deal — to handle
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. current — electric
  16. face — to point toward
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. current — happening now

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