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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — to confront
  9. toast — bread
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — to point toward
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — part of the head
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — with a leg

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