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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. content — the amount
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — in football
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mark — a trace
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — to succeed

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