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

Word bank: mug · stand · fall · last · pound · fine · deal · trunk

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. last — to go on
  7. mug — to rob
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fall — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. last — final
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mug — a face
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. last — finally
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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