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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. spring — the season
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — a series
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — the season

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