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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bark — to shout
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kick — in football
  20. bass — low music
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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