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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — in cards
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wax — in the ear

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