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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. kid — to tease
  3. pit — in a race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — child
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — a price
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — a container
  21. pit — a hole
  22. charge — in control
  23. bound — tied together
  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