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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — boats
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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