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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bound — certain
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rock — music
  24. deal — to handle

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