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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 124 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — to visit
  14. board — a committee
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — to get on
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kick — in football
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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