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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hand — help
  4. row — to paddle
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. row — a line
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. shower — rain
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. shower — to wash
  23. kick — in football
  24. hand — in cards

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