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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 116 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: content · kid · kick · pass · deal · hide · shower · rule

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rule — government
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. content — happy
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — the amount
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kick — in football
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pass — a permit
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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