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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. deal — to handle
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fall — the season
  24. fine — high quality

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