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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tube — a container
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. degree — temperature
  17. kid — child
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fork — in a road
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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