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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 124 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 · file · court · lean · pound · calf · rush · drill

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. court — of law
  3. file — a document
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. court — of a king
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pound — a weight
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a tool

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