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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.

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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — letters
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — a short time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spell — magic
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spring — of water
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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