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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: rush · roll · calf · toast · tube · kid · march · can

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — a cake
  8. march — music
  9. toast — bread
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — a container
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. roll — a list
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. roll — on a roll

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