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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. spell — magic
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spell — a short time
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — letters

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