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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lean — thin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to click
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rash — a series
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — to handle

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