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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. court — for sport
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — in music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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