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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hand — help
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wind — moving air
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bank — for money

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