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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tube — a container
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kick — in football
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. tube — in a tire

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