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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tube — a container
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kid — child
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — the earth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — a position
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rest — a break
  22. prune — to trim
  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