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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 124 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. charge — a price
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. charge — electricity
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bear — the animal

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