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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: board · spell · roll · deal · lean · wound · firm · leaves

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — a committee
  6. firm — a company
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — decided
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. firm — steady
  22. roll — a cake
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spell — a short time

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