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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — for golf
  6. spring — of water
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kick — in football
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. club — a group
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. tube — a container

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