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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — for catching
  4. kick — in football
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. net — after costs
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lean — to bend
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lean — thin
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. object — a thing
  17. shower — rain
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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