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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. charge — a price
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — in music
  6. face — to point toward
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. charge — in control
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. object — to protest
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — to handle
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — part of the head
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. object — a thing

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