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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: race · band · firm · calf · lean · rule · cue · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cue — a signal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kid — to tease
  7. race — humankind
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — a contest
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. band — a ring
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — steady
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — a company
  24. cue — for pool

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