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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wind — moving air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rest — a break
  17. rash — a series
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mate — a partner
  24. calf — a young animal

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