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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. track — a path
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lie — to recline
  19. track — to keep track
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. board — a committee
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — a big deal

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