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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — a line
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cue — a signal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. file — a document
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. file — a line of people

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