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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — in control
  4. squash — to crush
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. season — in sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. charge — a price

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