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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. present — the time now
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — there
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. scale — size or range
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. scale — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — soda
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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