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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — magic
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. key — in music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spell — a short time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spell — letters
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. kick — in football
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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