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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chest — a box
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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