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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 · rest · calf · rock · face · straw · row · leaves

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. row — a line
  5. rock — a stone
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. face — to point toward
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  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