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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stock — shares
  5. file — a tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — in cards
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. file — a document
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hand — help
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stock — a soup base

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