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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cap — of ice
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — the fruit
  11. current — happening now
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cap — a lid
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — a hat
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. current — electric
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. snap — to click

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