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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. march — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. march — the month
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hand — help
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — a group
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lie — to recline

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