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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stand — to bear
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. deal — to handle
  14. game — wild animals
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bound — certain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. game — a kind of play

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