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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spring — of water
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stand — to bear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. file — a document
  15. rush — hurry
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — the season
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  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