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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chest — a box
  3. last — finally
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cue — for pool
  9. last — to go on
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kick — in football
  24. last — final

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