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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. net — in sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — a container
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — for a hammer

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