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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. race — humankind
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tube — the underground
  11. staff — a stick
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. charge — a price
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — a skill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — boats
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. snap — to click
  22. race — the arms race
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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