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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 116 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 make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hand — help
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mate — a partner
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. tube — a container
  24. hand — in cards

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