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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. kid — child
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wave — with your hand

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