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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. branch — a division
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rash — a series
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. face — part of the head
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spell — magic

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