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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.

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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. last — finally
  7. wind — moving air
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. last — to go on
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. band — a ring
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. charge — electricity
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. cue — for pool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — a signal

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