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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kick — in football
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. key — for a lock
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — to handle
  21. capital — money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — steady
  24. capital — a big letter

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