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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — in cards
  7. row — a line
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. craft — a skill
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — in music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rush — hurry
  24. row — to paddle

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