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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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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 · cue · march · chest · safe · rule · lie · staff

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — a stick
  3. chest — a box
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. march — music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — government
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chest — of your body
  15. staff — employees
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — employees

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