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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
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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: row · spring · march · calf · tube · bear · wake · charge

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spring — a coil
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. row — to paddle
  7. spring — the season
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — of water
  13. tube — the underground
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — a container
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — a line
  19. march — the month
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — a trail
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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