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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cap — a lid
  6. row — a line
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. game — a match
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. tube — a container
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. charge — a price
  21. cap — of ice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. calf — of the leg

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