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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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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 · rest · fan · pass · mouse · calf · rash · chest

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rash — a series
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rest — a break
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chest — a box

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