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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: tube · calf · shower · net · pitcher · mark · bulb · tear

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tear — from crying
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — a container
  20. shower — to wash
  21. net — for catching
  22. tear — to rip
  23. net — after costs
  24. bulb — of a plant

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