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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. tube — the underground
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. face — to confront
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — a container
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — rain
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — to handle

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