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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — a price
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — in control
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — a garden tool

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