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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — the underground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hand — in cards
  9. drill — the tool
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — help
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ball — a round shape

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