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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rash — hasty
  7. hand — help
  8. cue — a hint
  9. drill — army training
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. root — the cause
  16. cue — for pool
  17. root — of a word
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rest — a break
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — of a plant
  23. drill — the tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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