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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. file — a line of people
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — letters
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — a container
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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