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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 124 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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. roll — a cake
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. deal — to handle
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. face — part of the head
  21. roll — a list
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. face — to confront

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