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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cue — a signal
  6. scale — in music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cue — for pool
  17. charge — in control
  18. scale — size or range
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — in football
  24. cue — a hint

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