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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: arm · game · leaves · deal · snap · firm · key · lash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. firm — a company
  9. key — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. key — for a lock
  15. firm — steady
  16. snap — to click
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. key — the most important part
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. firm — decided

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