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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: straw · tube · present · last · cap · charge · calf · cue

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. charge — a price
  3. present — the time now
  4. cap — a lid
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cue — a signal
  8. last — to go on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. last — final
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. last — finally
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. present — a gift
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — there

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