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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. march — music
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — the month
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. firm — steady
  10. march — the month
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. firm — decided
  24. deal — an agreement

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