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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 116 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: key · swing · chair · tube · row · track · rest · calf

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. swing — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — the underground
  10. key — in music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. track — a song
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — a container
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — to play on
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rest — a break
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. track — to keep track

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