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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — help
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kick — in football
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — all right
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. deal — a big deal

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