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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. present — a gift
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a match
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to click
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. present — the time now
  21. board — a committee
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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