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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kick — in football
  4. face — to confront
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bore — to tire
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. track — a path
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — shares
  13. snap — to click
  14. stock — goods
  15. face — part of the head
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. track — a song
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — to sink
  24. kick — with a leg

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