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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. race — humankind
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — shares
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a music group
  15. stock — goods
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — the underground
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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