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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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468
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: drill · mouse · tube · straw · wake · cabinet · bulb · calf

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — the underground
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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