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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: rush · saw · cue · chest · can · ground · kick · racket

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ground — the earth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. can — to be able to
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — in football
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — a tin

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