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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: deal · bulb · snap · game · object · lash · patient · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. object — an aim
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. object — to protest
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. snap — to click
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. game — wild animals

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