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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — a gift
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — there
  17. cue — a hint
  18. present — the time now
  19. tube — a container
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — a signal
  24. kick — in football

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