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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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468
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. content — the amount
  9. fall — the season
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. last — final
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — for catching
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wind — to turn a key

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