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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. spring — of water
  3. rush — hurry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spring — the season
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hand — in cards
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spring — a coil
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mate — a friend

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