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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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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: mouse · tear · perch · lash · tube · root · calf · bay

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — the cause
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. root — of a word
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tear — from crying
  24. root — of a plant

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