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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. face — to confront
  11. prune — to trim
  12. season — in sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. season — of the year
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. face — part of the head

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