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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — the underground
  14. kick — in football
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. degree — an amount
  17. club — a group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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