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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. content — the amount
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — for digging
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — magic
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bear — the animal

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