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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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