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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: calf · dip · cue · lean · rule · current · row · straw

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cue — for pool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. current — electric
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. current — happening now
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cue — a signal
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lean — thin

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