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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 116 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: clip · cue · bowl · deal · bulb · kick · stem · vault

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cue — a signal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kick — in football
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — a safe
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — to handle
  20. clip — a video
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. clip — for paper

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