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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cold — not warm
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. drill — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. drill — army training

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