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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kick — in football
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pitch — completely
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — a trail
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. deal — to handle
  12. shower — rain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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