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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: bear · row · coach · content · kick · object · calf · lean

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — the animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. content — the amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. content — happy
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. object — an aim
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lean — thin

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