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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — a container
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spring — the season
  9. race — humankind
  10. tube — the underground
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — a contest
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  24. prune — to trim

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