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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — in football
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — a weight
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — to handle
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a music group

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