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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — a container
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. perch — for a bird

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