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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — boats
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — crushed
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to click
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — a coil
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spring — of water
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spring — the season

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