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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bound — certain
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — to confront
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a ring
  22. bank — of a river
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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