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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. suit — to fit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hand — help
  11. object — a thing
  12. cue — for pool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — to protest
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. snap — to click
  20. deal — to handle
  21. object — an aim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hand — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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