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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: wound · roll · rash · calf · cue · cabinet · toast · tube

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tube — the underground
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a list
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. tube — a container
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — for pool
  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