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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spring — the season
  6. file — a document
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spring — a coil
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — of water

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