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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spell — letters
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a face
  7. tear — from crying
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. firm — a company
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mug — to rob
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — steady
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — decided
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tear — to rip

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