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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — to come down
  4. last — final
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. land — ground
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. last — to go on
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. last — finally
  23. hand — help
  24. lash — to lash out

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