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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. drill — the tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rash — hasty
  22. drill — army training
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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