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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 116 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 · chair · bound · rock · last · fan · tube · calf

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. last — to go on
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. last — final
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. row — a line
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — finally
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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