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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chest — a box
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. club — a group
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rule — government
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chest — of your body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rule — to rule out

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