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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. craft — boats
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. root — the cause
  13. pound — a weight
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. chair — a leader
  20. file — a tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rush — a thrill

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