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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to click
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a signal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lie — to recline
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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