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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: cue · band · calf · rest · stand · patient · arm · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cue — a signal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. band — a ring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a music group

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