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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — to handle
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — size or range
  22. snap — to click
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. row — a quarrel

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