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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — employees
  10. chest — a box
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. mate — a friend
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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