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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tear — to rip
  9. swing — in golf
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — a hint
  13. season — of the year
  14. cue — a signal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. season — in sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lean — to bend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — thin

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