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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. drill — the tool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a hat
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. drill — army training
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — a practice
  21. land — a country
  22. wound — an injury
  23. land — to come down
  24. bulb — of a plant

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