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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pop — soda
  5. rash — hasty
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — to visit
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — a series
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pop — music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. band — a ring
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — to trim
  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