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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 116 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: pop · patient · tube · calf · lie · cap · row · safe

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tube — a container
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. row — to paddle
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pop — music
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — to visit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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