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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. ground — crushed
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kid — to tease
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — a container
  14. ground — the earth
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — a position
  23. kid — child
  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