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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kick — in football

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