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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. land — a country
  20. branch — a division
  21. hand — help
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — a permit
  24. prune — to trim

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