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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. calf — a young animal

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