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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a face
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — the underground
  14. game — wild animals
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. game — a match
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tube — a container

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