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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. trunk — of a car

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