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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — there
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — child
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. present — a gift
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cap — of ice
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. charge — in control

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