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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rest — a break
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. calf — a young animal

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