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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hand — help

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