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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. firm — a company
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — finally
  7. file — a line of people
  8. last — final
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. file — a document
  11. last — to go on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. file — a tool
  16. firm — steady
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — to breed
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. firm — decided
  24. face — part of the head

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