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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 make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — a series
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. deal — to handle
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. net — after costs
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — in sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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