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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. firm — decided
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tube — a container
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — the underground
  8. plane — a tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. degree — temperature
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — a company
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rush — to hurry

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