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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — to rob
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. mug — a cup
  13. firm — steady
  14. tube — a container
  15. mug — a face
  16. firm — decided
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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