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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — to paddle
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. row — a line
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — after costs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — for catching

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