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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. clip — a video
  5. pound — a weight
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. capital — money
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. clip — for paper
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a city
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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