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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kid — child
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cell — a phone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — boats
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — army training
  24. kid — to tease

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