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

Word bank: object · lash · hide · stick · kick · cell · deal · mouse

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. object — to protest
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kick — in football
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. object — an aim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lash — to lash out

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