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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: hand · face · tube · calf · bulb · bear · cue · scale

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — help
  12. scale — size or range
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. scale — for weighing

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