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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lean — thin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to bend
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. scale — in music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lash — an eyelash

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