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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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — to handle
  13. season — in sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. march — music

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