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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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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: cue · cold · bore · chair · jam · calf · mug · vault

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — a signal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cold — not warm
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mug — to rob
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mug — a face
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cold — an illness

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