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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.

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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. race — humankind
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — to bear
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bulb — for light

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