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

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — of a word
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kick — in football
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — a hint
  11. clip — to cut
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. clip — a video
  18. root — the cause
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bound — certain
  24. tube — a container

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