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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kid — child
  4. clip — a video
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fine — all right
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fall — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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