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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. firm — steady
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — child
  14. season — in sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. firm — a company

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