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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: lash · rash · rush · deal · wound · mine · roll · can

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mine — for digging
  16. roll — a list
  17. rash — a series
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — an eyelash

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