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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. degree — an amount
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. land — a country
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. object — a thing
  18. degree — from a university
  19. land — to come down
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. land — ground
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. degree — temperature
  24. safe — out of danger

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