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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. deal — to handle
  5. shower — rain
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. kick — in football
  19. dip — to sink
  20. shower — to wash
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. safe — out of danger

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