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

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — in football
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mug — a face
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mug — a cup
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — in cards

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