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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · content · lash · calf · tube · mug · lean · plane

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. plane — a tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. root — the cause
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. content — the amount
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mug — a face
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mug — a cup
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. root — of a word
  24. tube — a container

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