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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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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: calf · dip · hide · tube · fan · chair · pit · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. tear — to rip
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tube — a container
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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