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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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Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to click
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fine — all right
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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