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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hand — help
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hand — in cards
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. race — humankind
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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