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

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. roll — a cake
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — after costs
  12. rash — a series
  13. net — for catching
  14. snap — to click
  15. rash — hasty
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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