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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.

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: tube · fork · rock · wake · rush · calf · mate · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — the underground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fork — in a road
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mate — to breed
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mate — a partner

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