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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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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: row · wake · object · tear · toast · rock · calf · wind

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. row — a line
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — a thing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. object — to protest
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rock — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — an aim
  22. toast — bread
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wind — moving air

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