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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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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 · bound · key · dip · ruler · wind · tube · kick

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mug — a cup
  6. kick — in football
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — the most important part
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mug — a face
  23. dip — to sink
  24. key — in music

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