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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. row — a line
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. object — an aim
  9. rock — a stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — a thing
  12. tube — a container
  13. face — to confront
  14. row — to paddle
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. object — to protest
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tube — the underground
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kid — child
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rock — music

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