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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — for dancing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — a group
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stem — to come from
  12. swing — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. swing — to play on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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