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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pop — to visit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — the earth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — soda
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ground — crushed
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. snap — to click
  23. ground — a position
  24. chip — in a computer

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