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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cue — for pool
  3. drill — army training
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. kick — in football
  19. snap — to click
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. drill — a practice
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bound — tied together

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