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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: rush · lean · deal · kick · fine · rest · chest · stick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — to handle
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — all right
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — a box
  24. lean — to bend

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