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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.

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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fork — in a road
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hand — help
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — to spend time

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