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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 116 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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