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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cell — a phone
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spell — letters
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lash — an eyelash

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