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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. squash — to crush
  5. suit — clothes
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. suit — in cards
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hand — in cards
  22. kick — in football
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — help

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