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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
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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: mine · wind · calf · tube · mouse · fine · arm · prune

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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. mine — for digging
  4. wind — moving air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — the underground
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — a container
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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