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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rule — a law
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rule — government
  9. charge — in control
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — a signal
  13. capital — a city
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. tear — from crying
  22. capital — money
  23. stem — to come from
  24. charge — electricity

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