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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 116 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — certain
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rash — a series
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bear — the 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