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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — hurry
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — a division
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a grade
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — a permit

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