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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: branch · calf · cue · cold · mate · bay · kick · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cold — an illness
  10. branch — a division
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cue — a signal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — in football
  20. mate — a partner
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cold — the Cold War

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