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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cue — for pool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cue — a signal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mine — for digging

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