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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lean — to bend
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — thin
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. field — for sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. prune — to trim

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