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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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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: mouse · kick · tube · stick · clip · deal · row · charge

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — a container
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kick — in football
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. row — a line
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — to handle

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