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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chest — a box
  12. pass — a permit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rule — a law
  18. capital — a city
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rule — government
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. calf — a young animal

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