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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hand — help
  7. deal — to handle
  8. roll — a cake
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bank — of a river
  21. roll — a list
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — an eyelash

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