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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. march — music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — help
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — the month

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