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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · tube · scale · mouse · fine · cell · calf · cue

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cell — a phone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — in music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in biology

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