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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. track — to keep track
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tear — to rip
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. track — a song
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — to wash
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a path
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. shower — rain
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — to be able to

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