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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kid — child
  5. kick — in football
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — to be able to

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