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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: bowl · rush · mark · hand · root · bear · calf · row

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — to paddle
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — a grade
  23. row — a line
  24. hand — help

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