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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: lean · drill · spell · tube · calf · can · shower · fork

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lean — thin
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — magic

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