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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. race — a contest
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. race — humankind
  10. net — in sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. file — a tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a document
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — high quality
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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