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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: foot · tube · calf · safe · present · mine · race · cue

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cue — a signal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — a contest
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. present — a gift
  19. tube — the underground
  20. present — there
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — a container
  23. present — the time now
  24. cue — a hint

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