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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — in football
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. last — final
  12. spell — letters
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. last — finally
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spell — magic

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