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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — help
  13. sharp — clever
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cue — a hint
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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