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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. kick — in football
  4. race — humankind
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — a contest
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. race — the arms race
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spell — magic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spell — a short time
  24. staff — employees

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