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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. can — to be able to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kid — to tease
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. object — an aim
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kid — child
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. can — a tin

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