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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. 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. cue — for pool
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — a list
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tear — from crying
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. land — ground
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. tube — in a tire
  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