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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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Word bank
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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: foot · deal · mouse · bat · kick · hide · face · bound

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bound — certain
  16. face — to confront
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kick — in football
  21. face — to point toward
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. deal — a big deal

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