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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. present — a gift
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — to drop

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