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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. deal — a big deal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — to recline
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. spring — of water
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. spring — the season
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — the most admired
  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