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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: calf · mine · fan · tube · fall · staff · suit · pop

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — soda
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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