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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. last — finally
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. last — to go on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. toast — bread
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. branch — a division
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. craft — boats
  24. last — final

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