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

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bound — tied together
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — a container
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bound — certain
  18. pound — a weight

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