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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. racket — for tennis
  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