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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. kid — child
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cue — a hint
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. band — a music group
  16. lie — to recline
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — an untruth

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