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

Word bank: stick · mouse · deal · band · clip · lash · leaves · chest

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chest — a box
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. clip — to cut
  24. deal — to handle

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