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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: mug · deal · racket · wound · lie · lash · rule · game

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mug — a face
  6. rule — a law
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rule — government
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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