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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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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 · mate · deal · arm · track · wind · stick · ground

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a partner
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — a song
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. track — to keep track
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — a path
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ground — a position
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wind — moving air

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