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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: tube · face · cap · dip · fall · can · kick · cue

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — a tin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. face — part of the head
  10. dip — to sink
  11. kick — in football
  12. face — to confront
  13. fall — the season
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — a signal

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