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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 · tube · snap · jam · fine · cell · stand · deal

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. snap — to click
  6. tube — a container
  7. cell — a phone
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — the underground
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. jam — in traffic

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