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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spell — magic
  3. fall — the season
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spell — letters
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young 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