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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cue — a signal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. kid — child

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