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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cold — not warm
  6. firm — a company
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cold — an illness
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — to handle
  21. row — a line
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. saw — the tool

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