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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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — the season
  5. sharp — clever
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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