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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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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: cold · suit · file · mate · calf · rule · saw · cue

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rule — government
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rule — a law
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cold — not warm
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — a partner
  24. file — a document

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