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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · court · row · kick · mug · mine · chest · wake

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. chest — a box
  5. court — of law
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. row — a line
  13. court — of a king
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mug — a face
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kick — in football
  19. court — for sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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