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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — the season
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spring — the season
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — the underground
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. spring — of water
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — to be able to

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