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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. root — of a word
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. root — the cause
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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