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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 120 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: calf · bear · clip · race · dip · cue · suit · scale

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. clip — a video
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cue — a signal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. clip — for paper
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cue — for pool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. race — a contest
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — to cut

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