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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 124 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. snap — to click
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. content — the amount
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. content — happy
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. deal — to handle
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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