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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — in football
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. date — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ground — the earth
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wake — a trail

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