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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — a measure
  14. drill — army training
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kick — in football
  20. firm — steady
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. firm — a company
  24. cell — a phone

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