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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hand — help
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — in sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — of the year
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. present — a gift
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lash — to lash out

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