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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. staff — a stick
  8. row — to paddle
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — help
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. kick — in football
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kick — a thrill

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