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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pop — music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — a container
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — soda
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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