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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fine — all right
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tube — a container
  14. cap — a hat
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rash — hasty
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cap — a lid

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