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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. drill — army training
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tube — a container
  11. file — a document
  12. cap — a hat
  13. season — in sport
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. file — a line of people
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. file — a tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cue — for pool
  24. season — of the year

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