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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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468
Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. present — the time now
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rash — a series
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — to be able to
  8. swing — music
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — to handle
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — there
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — in football
  21. key — in music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. key — for a lock
  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