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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · tube · can · bat · tear · drill · pit · calf

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. drill — army training
  3. roll — a list
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pit — in a race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — a hole
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. can — a tin

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