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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: wind · foot · tube · spell · cell · calf · fine · bay

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cell — in biology
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spell — a short time

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