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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cue — a hint
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. clip — a video
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. clip — to cut
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — in football
  20. charge — in control
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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