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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a song
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tube — a container
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — of water
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — a series
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spring — the season

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