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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · row · calf · kick · rush · bear · bulb · field

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. rock — a stone
  5. field — for sport
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. row — a line
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. bear — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bear — to put up with

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