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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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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: rule · present · snap · tube · leaves · game · kick · dip

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. snap — to click
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kick — in football
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. present — the time now
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. game — a match
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. dip — to sink
  24. present — there

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