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

Word bank: cue · bulb · kick · tear · chair · calf

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — to sit on

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