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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cold — an illness
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a document
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cue — for pool

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