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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. tube — a container
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — child
  8. can — to be able to
  9. tube — the underground
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. press — newspapers
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. press — a publisher
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. press — to push
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. net — after costs
  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