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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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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kick — with a leg

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