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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: bay · calf · kid · mug · fall · cabinet · deal · tube

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tube — a container
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — child
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — to rob
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — a face
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tube — in a tire

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