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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · file · fan · dip · deal · staff · rash · kick

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — a series
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. file — a document
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. deal — to handle
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — hasty
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. staff — a stick
  21. file — a tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kick — in football

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