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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: cue · mouse · capital · bulb · drill · mug · calf · trunk

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cue — a signal
  9. drill — army training
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mug — a cup
  12. capital — a city
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mug — a face

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