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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — in music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. march — the month
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — the most important part

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