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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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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: nail · game · suit · deal · clip · lash · mouse · bulb

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — wild animals
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. deal — to handle
  24. nail — for a hammer

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