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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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