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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. key — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a face
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — for a lock

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