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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · season · craft · clip · fall · ball · kick · cue

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kick — in football
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. clip — a video
  17. season — in sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fall — the season
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fall — to drop

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