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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — of the year
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spell — a short time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — the animal

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