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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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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: craft · calf · mark · can · rash · tube · file · mug

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — hasty
  4. can — to be able to
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. file — a tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. file — a line of people
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a document
  24. rash — a series

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