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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · cell · craft · swing · stick · tube · calf · rush

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. craft — boats
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cell — a phone

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