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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 · wake · cue · sharp · mug · row · track · squash

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. mug — to rob
  3. track — a song
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — for pool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — a face
  22. track — a path
  23. wake — a trail
  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