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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hand — in cards
  5. row — a line
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bank — of a river
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — to paddle
  12. land — a country
  13. hand — help
  14. firm — steady
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. land — ground
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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