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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — soda
  3. firm — steady
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — music
  10. firm — decided
  11. deal — to handle
  12. firm — a company
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. field — a subject
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. field — farmland
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. present — there
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. present — the time now

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