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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — a hint
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — to tease
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — of water
  15. kid — child
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — a coil
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. nail — for a hammer

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