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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · calf · mug · track · chest · tube · fork · can

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chest — of your body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. track — a path
  19. chest — a box
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — a song
  24. tube — a container

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