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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bound — certain
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — ground
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. present — there
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kick — in football
  14. land — a country
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. roll — a list
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. roll — a cake
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — obliged

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