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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · file · rush · root · mug · bore · mine · calf

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mug — a cup
  7. file — a document
  8. cue — for pool
  9. root — the cause
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mug — to rob
  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