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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 116 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: tear · calf · lie · lash · bulb · key · tube · perch

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. key — for a lock
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — in music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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