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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. present — a gift
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. row — a line
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. present — the time now
  8. root — of a word
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — to be able to
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — a series
  15. root — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. root — the cause
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — hasty
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — there
  24. cue — a hint

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