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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · calf · tube · land · cabinet · bear · row · can

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — a line
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. land — ground
  9. tube — a container
  10. land — to come down
  11. wind — moving air
  12. land — a country
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. row — to paddle
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. row — a quarrel

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