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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: lash · game · face · wound · deal · track · snap · firm

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — steady
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — a company
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. face — to confront
  10. snap — to click
  11. track — a song
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. track — a path
  18. game — wild animals
  19. firm — decided
  20. face — part of the head
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. game — a match
  23. wound — an injury
  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