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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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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — to go on
  7. mug — to rob
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — a container
  14. suit — in cards
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — finally
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — a face
  24. suit — clothes

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