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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — to handle
  9. band — a music group
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hand — help
  22. band — a ring
  23. fork — to eat with
  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