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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cue — for pool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cue — a signal
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — tied together
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mate — a partner
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — a friend

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