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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — of a king
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — help
  12. race — humankind
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. key — the most important part
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — in music
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — for sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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