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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. season — of the year
  4. mark — a trace
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cue — for pool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — in sport

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