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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: object · deal · arm · kid · rash · lie · spring · club

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — to handle
  3. club — for golf
  4. spring — a coil
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. object — an aim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kid — child
  16. object — to protest
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — a thing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kid — to tease

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