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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — a thrill

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