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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 116 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 · mate · calf · file · can · kick · coach · straw

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. file — a document
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a hint
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. file — a line of people
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. kick — in football
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. calf — a young animal

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