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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cell — in biology
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fine — high quality
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cell — a phone
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — the underground

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