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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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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: kick · present · dip · cue · mate · saw · cell · mug

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a signal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kick — in football
  16. present — a gift
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. present — there
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — a phone

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