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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · fan · board · race · deal · prune · spring · calf

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spring — the season
  10. drill — the tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — to handle
  18. board — to get on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — a committee
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. drill — army training
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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