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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · fall · bear · deal · swing · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. swing — music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fall — the season
  12. kick — in football
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kick — a thrill

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