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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tube — a container
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bore — to tire
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bore — to drill

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