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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.

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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: tear · tube · ruler · calf · object · jam · cell · game

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — a match
  6. cell — in biology
  7. object — a thing
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. object — an aim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. tube — a container
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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