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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lean — thin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lean — to bend

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