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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. deal — to handle
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bass — low music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — a big deal

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