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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. club — a group
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — a list
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spell — a short time
  11. club — for golf
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. deal — a big deal

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