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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — for pool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — an injury

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