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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. staff — a stick
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. season — of the year
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. key — in music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tube — the underground
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. content — happy
  19. pit — a hole
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. content — the amount
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — in sport

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