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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. kick — in football
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cue — a hint
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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