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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. date — the fruit
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. clip — a video
  17. rush — hurry
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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