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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rest — a break
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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