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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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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: face · cue · cap · scale · squash · snap · bulb · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cue — for pool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. scale — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. face — part of the head
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cap — of ice
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. face — to confront
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cap — a lid
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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