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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — the underground
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — a box
  18. bound — tied together
  19. shower — rain
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — certain
  23. chest — of your body
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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