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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. spring — of water
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mine — for digging
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spring — the season
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  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