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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: face · can · rush · deal · scale · kid · calf · tube

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rush — hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. tube — the underground
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. face — to confront
  19. scale — in music
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. face — to point toward
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. calf — a young animal

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