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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. tube — a container
  10. net — in sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to click
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. net — for catching
  22. tube — the underground
  23. net — after costs
  24. roll — a cake

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