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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. tear — to rip
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. kid — to tease
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bound — certain
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kid — child
  23. wake — a trail
  24. calf — of the 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