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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — to put up with

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