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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pit — in a race
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. toast — bread
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

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