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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. row — a line
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. charge — a price
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. snap — to click
  23. tube — a container
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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