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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — all right
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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