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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kick — in football

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