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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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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: calf · arm · rule · file · dip · cue · row · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. file — a document
  4. cue — a hint
  5. tube — a container
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a line
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rule — a law
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. row — to paddle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rule — government
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tube — the underground
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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