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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: mouse · chest · fork · row · deal · rash · bulb · kick

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — a box
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. row — a line
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — a series
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rash — hasty
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rash — on the skin
  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