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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rule — government
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — a container
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. toast — bread
  9. rule — a law
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tube — in a tire

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