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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — boats
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — a handicraft

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