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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cell — a phone

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