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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bear — the animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. kick — in football
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hand — in cards
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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