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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 · row · stand · sharp · bowl · lie · wound · calf

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a line
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — an untruth

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