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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — magic
  4. deal — to handle
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — to get on
  10. spring — the season
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. board — a committee

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