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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. craft — boats
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. branch — a division
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hand — in cards
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spell — letters
  19. hand — help
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. craft — a handicraft

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