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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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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: wake · calf · board · present · bulb · stick · cue · straw

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. present — the time now
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. board — to get on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wake — a trail
  8. present — there
  9. cue — a signal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — a hint
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bulb — for light

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