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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — in football
  5. tube — a container
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. object — to protest
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. row — a line
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — boats
  15. tube — the underground
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. row — a quarrel

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