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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: sharp · mug · calf · kid · wake · tube · track · cabinet

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kid — child
  6. mug — a face
  7. track — to keep track
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tube — the underground
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — a song
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — a trail
  19. track — a path
  20. mug — to rob
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. tube — a container
  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