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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to bend
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — thin
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — to handle
  24. leaves — lets stay

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