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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a line
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bank — of a river

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