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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 124 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: cue · track · kick · toast · cap · foot · clip · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. track — a song
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — of ice
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cue — a hint
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cap — a hat
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — a measure
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — a thrill

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