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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · firm · clip · cue · spring · dip · kick · sharp

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. object — an aim
  3. kick — in football
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — a company
  6. object — to protest
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — decided
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spring — of water
  14. firm — steady
  15. clip — a video
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. clip — for paper
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. object — a thing
  24. cue — a signal

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