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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. drill — the tool
  4. land — ground
  5. tube — a container
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. land — to come down
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. drill — army training
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — low music

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