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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
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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: hand · calf · wake · temple · mine · cabinet · cue · deal

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — in cards
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — for pool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cue — a signal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hand — help
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — a trail
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. calf — a young animal

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