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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · bound · calf · kid · stem · file

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cue — a signal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a document
  11. bound — certain
  12. kid — child
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a tool
  18. cue — a hint

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