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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — a coil
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — the season
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mug — a face
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. spring — of water
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cue — a hint
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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