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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — to bear
  13. last — final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. last — finally
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. last — to go on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — in football
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. deal — to handle

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