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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 · chair · root · row · saw · mug · rash · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a word
  4. mug — a face
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — the underground
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tube — a container
  24. root — of a plant

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