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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. snap — to click
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. kid — child
  9. wax — to grow
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kid — to tease
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. toast — bread
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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