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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. drill — a practice
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. drill — the tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. drill — army training
  21. tube — a container
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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