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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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468
Word bank
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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — in control
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. kick — in football
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — of water
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spring — the season
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — a price
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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