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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. present — there
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cap — of ice
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — the time now
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — a big deal

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