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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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 — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hand — help
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cell — a phone
  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