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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. clip — for paper
  8. swing — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. clip — a video
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stem — to come from
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. clip — to cut
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — in football
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. plane — a tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. plane — in geometry

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