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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: tube · tear · nail · bear · sharp · kick · pop · bay

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — in football
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pop — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tube — a container
  24. kick — with a leg

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