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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: race · cue · temple · calf · charge · ground · tube · cell

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cell — in biology
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — humankind
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — in control

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