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

Word bank: fork · leaves · deal · nail · swing · chest · prune · last

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. last — finally
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — to go on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. chest — a box
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. last — final
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chest — of your body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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