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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bass — low music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — a tool
  24. track — a path

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