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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. charge — a price
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. deal — to handle

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