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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — a video
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. clip — for paper
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. object — a thing
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kick — in football
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. object — to protest
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cue — for pool
  22. clip — to cut
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — an aim

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