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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. object — a thing
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. object — an aim
  8. land — a country
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — a break
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. kick — in football
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — ground

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