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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lean — thin
  6. squash — to crush
  7. staff — a stick
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. game — a match
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — a committee
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. game — wild animals
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — to get on
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. dip — to sink

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