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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tube — a container
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — magic
  24. hand — help

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