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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. game — a match
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bound — certain
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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