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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cap — a hat
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — certain
  7. cap — of ice
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bound — tied together
  24. prune — to trim

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