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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rule — government
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. swing — to play on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — a law
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — in football
  21. cell — a phone
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rule — to rule out

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