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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: mate · mouse · calf · fall · bore · cue · band · rule

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. band — a ring
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — government

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