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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cell — a phone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — a container

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