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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: tear · chair · wave · mine · scale · tube · calf · firm

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — steady
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chair — a leader
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. firm — decided
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. tube — the underground

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