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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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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: rule · nail · straw · calf · cue · file · cell · mug

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rule — government
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. file — a tool
  15. mug — a face
  16. cell — a phone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. file — a document
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rule — a law
  24. mug — a cup

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