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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. clip — to cut
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. clip — a video
  14. cue — a signal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. game — wild animals

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