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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — to lash out

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