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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: mate · march · file · snap · rash · calf · stand · cue

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a document
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stand — to bear
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. file — a tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cue — a hint
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cue — for pool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rash — a series

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