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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · last · deal · spring · row · trunk · charge · fine

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. spring — the season
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. firm — a company
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spring — of water
  11. firm — decided
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — a price
  20. row — a line
  21. firm — steady
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. trunk — of a car

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