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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: cap · cue · tear · racket · straw · mouse · calf · wave

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cue — for pool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — dry grass

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