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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 116 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: calf · nail · cue · wind · straw · hand · safe · kid

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cue — for pool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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