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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: stick · cue · scale · cabinet · lie · calf · staff · jam

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — a stick

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