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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: bulb · mark · face · court · calf · tube · file · cap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — of law
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tube — a container
  10. court — of a king
  11. cap — a lid
  12. face — to point toward
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a document
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a trace
  22. court — for sport
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — a grade

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