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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: deal · firm · lash · mine · track · row · kid · stick

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. firm — steady
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — a company
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kid — child
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — a line
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — decided
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. row — to paddle
  23. track — a song
  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