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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: fine · prune · bay · cell · snap · staff · deal · drill

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — army training
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — all right
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. drill — a practice
  18. snap — to click
  19. cell — a phone
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fine — high quality
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cell — in biology

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