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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · cold · foot · bound · tube · racket · calf · fork

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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