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

Word bank: fine · board · leaves · cell · deal · kid · pound · hand

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cell — a phone
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fine — all right
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — a committee
  16. pound — a weight
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — child
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — help
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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