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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. key — in music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. tube — a container
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. suit — to fit
  23. race — a contest
  24. wind — moving air

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