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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: racket · kick · clip · mug · fine · lean · mark · stick

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mug — a cup
  6. clip — a video
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. clip — for paper
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — in football
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a face
  20. fine — all right
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — high quality

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