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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. land — ground
  3. tear — from crying
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — to rip
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — the season
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — a country
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — for pool
  23. land — to come down
  24. track — a path

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