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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. last — final
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a committee
  14. last — finally
  15. board — to get on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. last — to go on
  18. charge — in control
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. charge — a price
  24. deal — a big deal

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