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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: fine · toast · cell · wind · deal · bark · dip · kick

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — to shout
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. toast — bread
  23. fine — high quality
  24. dip — to sink

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