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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: ball · fall · leaves · prune · deal · bulb · cell · safe

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — a phone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fall — to drop

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