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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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. march — the month
  9. kick — in football
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. march — music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. prune — the fruit

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