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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — a container
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. present — the time now
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — a gift
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. present — there
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bowl — a football final

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