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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. field — for sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tube — the underground
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. field — a subject
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. field — farmland
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wind — moving air

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