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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. ball — a round shape
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rash — a series

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