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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — clothes
  5. hand — help
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pop — soda
  8. rock — music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pop — music
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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