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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. current — of water
  11. key — in music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — electric
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fall — the season
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — a trainer

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