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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bear — to put up with
  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