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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mug — a face
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hand — help
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spring — of water
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — hurry
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mug — to rob

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