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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. object — an aim
  4. rule — a law
  5. mate — to breed
  6. season — of the year
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mate — a friend
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. object — to protest
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — for pool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — in sport
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — a signal

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