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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. tube — a container
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — clothes
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mug — to rob
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — on the calendar
  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