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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: cabinet · shower · bulb · pop · tube · foot · can · calf

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pop — to visit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pop — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. tube — a container
  24. calf — a young animal

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