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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: bear · cabinet · cell · cue · lash · key · calf · field

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — in music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. field — for sport
  14. key — for a lock
  15. field — farmland
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. key — the most important part
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lash — an eyelash

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