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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. charge — in control
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. present — the time now
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cold — an illness
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cold — not warm
  23. present — there
  24. wound — an injury

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