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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cue — a signal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cue — for pool
  15. swing — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cue — a hint
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cold — not warm

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