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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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Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — the underground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — a series
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — a container
  24. sharp — clever

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