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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ground — a position
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — the earth
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kick — in football
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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