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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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468
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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — the underground
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — a city
  13. perch — the fish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — to bear
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. capital — money
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tube — a container
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. snap — to click

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