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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · bear · staff · chair · face · lash · mouse · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. drill — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. staff — a stick

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