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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. wind — moving air
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cue — a signal
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. row — to paddle
  17. game — wild animals
  18. row — a line
  19. wind — moving air
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. can — to be able to
  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