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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — a container
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kick — in football
  17. cue — a signal
  18. drill — army training
  19. tube — the underground
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. drill — the tool

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