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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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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: staff · track · deal · ruler · lash · wound · snap · roll

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. track — a path
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. track — a song
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — to handle
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to click
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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