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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — magic
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spell — letters
  21. row — to paddle
  22. kid — child
  23. cue — a signal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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