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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — the underground
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. snap — to click
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. race — humankind
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kick — in football
  21. tube — a container
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. trunk — of a car

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