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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: snap · cold · cue · present · wake · bass · bore · calf

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — an illness
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — a gift
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bore — to drill
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. present — there
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cold — not warm

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