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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. deal — to handle
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — music
  9. rock — music
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rock — a stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. racket — for tennis

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