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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — final
  4. tube — the underground
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — a container
  7. key — for a lock
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cap — a lid
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. last — finally
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. fine — all right

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