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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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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: calf · deal · mouse · cue · cold · tube · nail · wake

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tube — a container
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. calf — a young animal

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