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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bass — low music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — a hint
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lean — thin
  19. cue — for pool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to bend
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lean — to rest against

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