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

Word bank: cell · hide · tube · rest · bat · ruler · cue · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rest — a break
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cell — in a prison

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