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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. band — a ring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a music group
  8. last — finally
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. last — final
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. last — to go on
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fork — to eat with

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