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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. band — a music group
  18. spell — magic
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. net — for catching
  24. cue — for pool

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