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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — in a race
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a hint
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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