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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. tube — a container
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. charge — a price
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kick — in football
  24. cue — a hint

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