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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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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: cabinet · pound · foot · race · tube · lean · calf · rule

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. pound — a weight
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — a law
  4. tube — the underground
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — a contest
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rule — government
  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