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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. craft — boats
  3. lie — to recline
  4. deal — to handle
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. craft — a skill
  7. roll — a cake
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — the fruit
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a leader
  19. roll — a list
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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