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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bound — obliged
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bound — certain
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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