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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: calf · wake · tube · mark · bound · perch · ball · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — a container
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bound — tied together
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bound — certain
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — the fish

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