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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. shower — to wash
  3. current — happening now
  4. tube — the underground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. shower — rain
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — electric
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. calf — of the leg

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