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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. roll — a cake
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a list
  8. tube — a container
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bulb — for light
  20. clip — to cut
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. clip — a video

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