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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. can — to be able to
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — a video
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. can — a tin
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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