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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — there
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. snap — to click
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bulb — of a plant

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