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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for golf
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bound — tied together
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stem — to come from
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. club — a group
  21. bound — certain
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lie — to recline

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