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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cue — for pool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wind — moving air
  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