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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. dip — to sink
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rush — hurry
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mark — a grade
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kick — in football
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. capital — money
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mark — a trace
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rush — a thrill

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