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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. key — the most important part
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. key — in music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — completely
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bound — obliged
  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