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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — to fit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cue — a signal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — the underground
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cue — a hint
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — for pool

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