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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 116 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — to paddle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pound — a weight
  12. row — a line
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — the cause
  18. kick — in football
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. pound — to hit hard

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