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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. deal — to handle
  7. kick — in football
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. season — in sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pass — to spend time

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