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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pound — a weight
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. fork — in a road
  6. spring — a coil
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. spring — of water
  12. tube — the underground
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. present — the time now
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — a container
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. present — there
  24. arm — part of the body

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