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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fall — the season
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — to play on
  18. 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