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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — an aim
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pound — a weight
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — humankind
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — the underground
  18. race — a contest
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — to trim
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to drill

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