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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. deal — to handle
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — a law
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — to bear
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stand — on your feet

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