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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: stem · calf · lie · safe · degree · cue · date · chair

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. degree — from a university
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cue — a hint
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — to recline
  19. degree — temperature
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chair — a professorship

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