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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bound — certain
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bound — obliged
  20. suit — clothes
  21. season — in sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — to rest against

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