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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — to come down
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. land — a country
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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