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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tube — the underground
  5. kid — to tease
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kid — child
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — of a plant
  12. craft — boats
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. root — the cause
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. charge — in control
  20. craft — a skill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pass — a permit

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